On Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 8:30 p.m. lights will be switched off in Saint Paul and around the globe for Earth Hour.
The City of Saint Paul encourages Saint Paul residents, business owners, building managers, religious and educational institutions to join the Earth Hour effort by turning off all non-essential lights and signs on Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Beyond the hour, the City encourages you to find new ways you can conserve energy on a daily basis. Resources to help you conserve energy are listed at the bottom of this page.
Starting as a symbolic lights out event in Sydney in 2007, World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour has grown to become the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 180 countries and territories to take action.
Earth Hour 2018 was celebrated in 188 countries and territories across seven continents and 17,900 landmarks including the Sydney Opera House (Sydney), Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (London), the Tokyo Sky Tree (Tokyo), the Empire State Building (New York), the Pyramids of Egypt (Cairo), Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi), Christ the Redeemer statue (Rio de Janeiro) and the Eiffel Tower (Paris).
The City of Saint Paul has shown its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by:
- installing photovoltaic (solar electric) panels on the RiverCentre Parking Ramp, Rondo Library, West Team Police Station, Public Works Garage, St. Anthony Park Community Center, and Science Museum of Minnesota;
- installing solar thermal (hot water) panels on the RiverCentre and Como Pool;
- retrofitting 60 city-owned buildings with efficient lighting and energy management systems;
- installing electric vehicle charging stations and purchasing electric vehicles;
- promoting biking by installing bike trails and bike lanes on streets, encouraging the use of Nice Ride bike sharing program in the city, and developing a bikeways plan;
- adopting the Sustainable Saint Paul Building Ordinance for construction projects;
- making no interest loans to homeowners to make energy efficient improvements to their homes;
- supporting the planning and development of the Central Corridor Green Line light rail project and the planning work for other new transit investments; and
- initiating a citywide Pedestrian Plan
2019 Saint Paul Participants:
- District Energy St. Paul
- Ecolab
- First National Bank Building
- Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
- Hamline Church United Methodist
- James J. Hill Center
- Landmark Center
- Metropolitan State University
- Minnesota Children’s Museum
- Minnesota State Capitol
- Pilgrim Lutheran Church
- Saint Paul George Latimer Central Library
- Science Museum of Minnesota
- Town Square Tower
- Travelers
- Union Depot
- US Bank Building (101 East 5th Street)
- US Bank (60 Livingston Avenue)
- Wells Fargo Place
- Xcel Center/RiverCentre/Minnesota Wild
Is your business interested in participating in Earth Hour 2018? Contact Kurt Schultz, Project Manager, at (651) 266-6590.
Get Involved
Interested in participating in Earth Hour 2019? We want to hear about it!
- Snap a photo of how you're spending your Earth Hour on social media. Remember to use #Connect2Earth and tag the City of Saint Paul!
- Not on social media? Email Kurt Schultz, Project Manager, with your story.
Get Ideas on How to Spend Earth Hour
Resources
Alliance for Sustainability
The Alliance for Sustainability brings about personal, organizational and planetary sustainability by informing, inspiring, educating, engaging and connecting people through positive, high impact projects and programs that bring communities together to act to create a sustainable future.
Center for Energy and Environment (CEE)
CEE's mission is to promote energy efficiency to strengthen the economy while improving the environment. Data-driven and community-engaged, CEE’s staff are passionate to discover and deploy the most effective solutions for a healthy, low-carbon economy through several channels.
Clean Energy Resource Teams
The Clean Energy Resource Teams - or CERTs - are a statewide partnership with a shared mission to connect individuals and their communities to the resources they need to identify and implement community-based clean energy projects.
Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties
For more than three decades, Community Action’s Energy Conservation has been using the latest technology performing energy audits and performing home weatherization and construction.
EnerChange
EnerChange is a no-cost service that helps non-profit organizations save money by saving energy
HOURCAR
HOURCAR is a nonprofit program that provides members with hourly access to a fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles.
Minnesota Energy Challenge
The Minnesota Energy Challenge is a fun and easy website where Minnesota residents can learn how to stay comfortable and save money in their homes.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) monitors environmental quality, offers technical and financial assistance, and enforces environmental regulations.
Minnesota Retiree Environmental Technical Assistance Program
The Minnesota Retiree Environmental Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) employs skilled, retired professionals to provide facility assessments and community sustainability assistance to small businesses, institutions, and communities in Minnesota.